1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an ion laser having a magnetic field source to generate a magnetic field in the region of a discharge channel.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ion laser is known from the publication Applied Physics 4 (1974) pages 141-145. An improvement in the laser power is achieved therein by applying an axial magnetic field in the discharge channel.
In Applied Physics Letters 46 (10), 15 May 1985, pages 925-927, an increase by a factor of three in the laser power is achieved by applying a transverse magnetic field. The increase is accomplished by at least doubling the input power due to the increase in the excitation voltage which is simultaneously required. In addition, the required ignition voltage is increased by approximately a factor of three due to the axial magnetic field. Thus, there is a considerable additional expense for driving the laser.